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OU was selected to host an NCAA tennis regional. Details on page 6A.

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Anthropology freshman Margo Belanger and journalism freshman Emily Thatcher struggle with packing in preparation to go home for the summer. Housing and Food Services allows students living in the dorms to donate unwanted items in designated areas of residence halls from May 10 to 15.

Housing and Food will take students’ left-over things and donate them to non-pro! t organizations in NormanTROY WEATHERFORDDaily Staff Writer

Students living in residence halls can do-nate their unwanted possessions May 10 to 15, said Lauren Royston, Housing and Food Services spokeswoman.

This is the second year the Housing and Food has coordinated to allow students in university residences to donate items, Royston said.

Student can leave goods including non-perishable food, cleaning supplies, clothing,

appliances, furniture and decorations in des-ignated areas of social lounges on the first floor of residence halls, she said.

Housing and Food Services, working with the Housing Center Student Association, Royston said, will donate the items to non-profit organizations in Norman.

It has not been decided where the dona-tions will go, but Housing and Food Services is working with student organizations to de-termine where there is the greatest need for donations in Norman, Royston said.

Crystal Hines, math sophomore, said she has a mini refrigerator she isn’t sure what to do with once she moves out of her dorm, but Hines said she will not be donating it.

“I would sell it if I had someone to sell it to,” Hines said. “If I gave it to anyone, I would give

it to a freshman from my high school.”Students in residence halls are required to

move out within 24 hours of their last final, Royston said. She said resident advisers will hold final floor meetings in which students will find out rules and information pertaining to moving out.

For students outside of residence halls, other options to donate exist.

The Goodwill accepts donations 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.

The Salvation Army is a Christian orga-nization at 1742 W. Lindsey St. that accepts donations.

Internet sites like Craigslist, Ebay and Facebook Marketplace provide other options for students wishing to sell their items.

Boren ! ghts to sustain OU’s quality education by promising a tuition increase no greater than 9 percentRICKY MARANONAssignment Editor

Tuition and mandatory fees will not increase more than 9 percent, OU President David Boren said at tuition student forum Wednesday afternoon in Beaird Lounge.

Boren said he spoke with law-makers and Gov. Brad Henry to en-sure that any budget cuts, increases in tuition and mandatory fees do not hinder the quality of education

at OU for future years.“We expect a budget cut, but

when it comes to how high we will have to raise tuition, the Regents and I will not go any higher than 9 percent,” Boren said.

Though the current budget situ-ation in Oklahoma is bad, it is noth-ing like other states’ budgets, Boren said to students.

In California, tuition and fees went up at least 33 percent in the middle of the semester in addition to courses being cut and many fac-ulty being laid off, Boren said.

Two students of the small crowd in attendance questioned the trans-parency of OU’s financial situation since the tuition and fees discussion

was scheduled during dead week.“I regret having to wait this long

to get the chance to talk to you about something that means so much to you,” Boren said. “The rea-son I waited so long was because I wasn’t and am still not sure of the final numbers that we will face next year.”

Boren said he will not know any specific tuition numbers until the Oklahoma Legislature completes budget negotiations with Henry.

OU received $7 million in stim-ulus funds from the state. These funds have helped keep tuition from increasing this year, Boren said.

Boren said he is concerned for the future of OU’s budget because of

multiple cuts made within the OU administration and the depletion of stimulus funds, which will be used by July 1, 2011, the beginning of the 2012 fiscal year.

Boren said no matter what

happens, tuition and mandatory fee increases will not be like anything that has happened in other states.

“We will not have double-digit tuition increases next year,” Boren said.

Tuition hike capped at 9 percent, Boren says

OU was selectehost an NCAA regional. Detaipage 6A.

POSSIBLE BUDGET SCENARIOSStudents can expect the following increases to tuition if the state cuts higher education spending by the following amounts:

• 3-percent cut ($4.2 million): 4-percent increase ($130.50) • 5-percent cut ($6.9 million): 6.5-percent increase ($210.50)

• 8-percent cut ($11 million): 8-percent increase ($260.00)• 10-percent cut ($13.9 million): 9-percent increase ($292.50)• More than 10-percent cut: Boren has promised to not raise tuition above 9 percent

*Source: OU President David Boren

Number of people labeling themselves as Independents rising, poll showsANA VALENTINEContributing Writer

With mid-term elections approaching, voters are faced with the decision of which party to support, and statistics show a rise in the number of people who classify them-selves as Independents.

In a Bloomberg National Poll, 1,000 U.S. adults were asked what party they associ-ate with. The data shows that 25 percent considered themselves Republican, 31 per-cent Democrat and 40 percent identify as Independent.

“These people are not the [Taxed Enough Already] Party, “conservative Mark Greer said. “They are people that are inherently skeptic of big government and taxation.”

In the same poll of 714 likely voters, 42 per-cent said they would vote Republican and 38 percent said they would vote Democrat.

Tyler Johnson, political science assistant

professor, said he isn’t surprised by the up and down of political party preference this close to mid-term elections.

“This sentiment is heightened by the fact that Democrats control the executive and legislative, so when government fails to solve problems, blame can easily be placed on one party in charge of everything,” Johnson said. “With the economy still somewhat weak-ened, that also benefits Republicans who can argue that Democrats have yet to solve this biggest of problems.”

Though only 25 percent of people identify as Republicans, a Pew Research Poll based on registered voters shows that Republicans have an increasing number of support-ers and Democrats’ popularity has slightly declined.

“It may be too early to say whether or not 2008 will have lasting effects, or if people were just extremely excited by President (Barack) Obama and will not turn out in 2010,” Johnson said.

The new sweep of Independents actually outnumber Republicans and Democrats in nine states: Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut,

I o w a , Ma i n e, Ma s s a c h u s e t t s , Ne w Hampshire, New Jersey and Rhode Island.

In some states, including Arizona, North Carolina, California, Florida and Colorado, there has been a significant increase in Independent affiliation. Arizona has seen the largest increase; the number of people who affiliate as an Independent or unaffili-ated has risen 30 percent since 2008.

“The people moving from the Republican Party probably aren’t switching to become Democrats; they’re probably a cause of the increase in Independents,” Johnson said. “They may be disaffected in some way by polarization.”

The large majority of Democrats (90 per-cent) and Republicans (91 percent) continue to support their parties while Independents remain divided, according to the Pew Research Center.

“More than anything, the majority of Americans believe that it is our responsibil-ity to leave this place better than we found it for the next generation,” Greer said. “So the question becomes, is there a political party that wholly represents that principle?”

Skepticism leads to increase in Independents

Universities cite privacy concerns as reason for denied requestELISE JENSWOLDThe Daily O’Collegian

Oklahoma’s two major public univer-sities will not disclose parking citation records containing student names, claim-ing they are educational records protected from disclosure by a federal student pri-vacy law.

But three open records experts say they believe the records are public under the state’s Open Records Act because commit-ting a parking violation has nothing to do with a student’s education.

A Maryland appellate court used the same reasoning in 1997, when it unani-mously ruled the same records at the University of Maryland were open under that state’s public records law.

The Maryland Court of Appeals said the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act was not intended “to preclude the release of any record simply because the record contained the name of a student.”

“The federal statute was obviously in-tended to keep private those aspects of a student’s educational life that relate to aca-demic status as a student,” the court said. “Prohibiting disclosure of any document containing a student’s name would allow universities to operate in secret, which would be contrary to one of the policies behind the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.”

The university’s student newspaper, The Diamondback, sought the records after learning that a basketball player had 285 parking violations, many for parking in handicapped spaces, and more than $8,000 in unpaid parking fines.

Oklahoma State University issued more than 18,000 parking tickets to students, faculty and visitors from Aug. 1 to April 9, according to university records.

OSU officials refused to disclose the names of students who received parking citations, and provided only the types of violations that occurred on campus.

OSU Attorney Doug Price said the indi-vidual records of citations given to students are educational records that must be kept confidential under FERPA.

OU officials also cited student privacy when they denied access to their database of parking citations issued to students.

“I don’t believe I will be able to release student names. That has to be against a privacy right,” said Kris Glenn, OU parking and transit department spokesman

OU’s Open Records Administrator Rachel McCombs offered to provide “num-bers and statistics, but no names because of student’s privacy.” McCombs said OU records containing student information could not be disclosed without a release form signed by the student.

FERPA defines educational records as school documents that “contain informa-tion directly related to a student.”

But Oklahoma City attorneys Bob Nelon and Michael Minnis said they don’t be-lieve the parking citations are educational records because they are not related to

OU, OSU refuseto discloseparking tickets

THURSDAY MAY 6, 2010

Read about an OU student who got the opportunity to assist The Flaming Lips on tour. See page 2B.

PARKING CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

EXTRA ITEMS TO BE ACCEPTED FOR DONATION

POLICE REVEAL SKETCH

Caitlin Harrison, managing editordailynews@ou.edu • phone: 325-3666 • fax: 325-6051

2A Thursday May 6, 2010

OUDAILY.COM » GO ONLINE TO LISTEN TO OU PRESIDENT DAVID BOREN DISCUSS POTENTIAL INCREASES TO TUITION AND FEES.

The following is a list of arrests and citations, not convictions. The information given is compiled from the Norman and OU Police Departments. At times, the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Department and the Oklahoma City FBI will contribute to these reports. All those listed are innocent until proven guilty. ASSAULT AND BATTERYSacha Devon Cox, 30, 332 Chalmette Drive, Monday, also trespassingSarah Michelle Wiggins, 22, 443 Chalmette Drive, Monday, also public intoxication LOUD PARTYMatthew Wayne Dorsett, 20, 1111 Oak Tree Ave., Tuesday DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCERyan Michael Halley, 22, 100 S. Porter Ave., Tuesday, also carrying a ! rearm while intoxicated and expired tag

POSSESSION OF ALCOHOLSamantha Anne Marie Henderson, 20, 1111 Oak Tree Ave., Tuesday MUNICIPAL WARRANTChristopher Antwonn King, 25, 1800 NE 24th Ave., Tuesday COUNTY WARRANTSharon K. Mann, 68, 901 N. Porter Ave., Tuesday Milo Gene Taylor, 44, 2631 E. Alameda St., Tuesday ASSAULT AND BATTERY WITH A DEADLY WEAPONLisa Nicole Nardine, 38, 614 N. Jones Ave., Tuesday, also obstructing an of! cer POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIALouis Anthony Swinney, 20, 1111 Oak Tree Ave., Tuesday

Norman Police released a sketch Tuesday of the man who allegedly stole a ring worth approximately $15,000 from Gordon’s Jewelry. The black male, who has a “chunky” build and is 25 to 30 years old, allegedly stole the ring April 27, said Norman Police Department Captain Tom Easley. Police ask anyone with informa-tion regarding the identity of the person involved in this crime to call the Norman Police Department at 405-321-1600 or Norman Crime-Stoppers at 405-366-7867.

POLICE REPORTS

A non-partisan public policy think thank named OU’s Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth as the 2010 Innovator Award recipi-ent for Oklahoma. Southern Growth Policies Board, a North Carolina-based com-pany, presents this award annually to an organization in each of its 13 regions that has improved that region. This year, it chose groups who helped states recover from the economic recession, according to a press release. “OU’s [CCEW] provides a unique environment for faculty, stu-dents and alumni to combine their talents around OU innovation to strengthen the global competitiveness of our region and nation,” said David Pullin, vice president for strategic planning and technol-ogy development. The CCEW is a semester-long internship program at OU in which students work with mentors and faculty to research technologies and recommend strategies, according to its website. “I chose to become a CCEW intern for ! rst-hand experience with developing the new technologies of Oklahoma,” industrial engineer-ing graduate student Andy Morris states on the website. “Being born and raised here, I ! nd it a great opportunity to play an integral role in sustaining the positive momentum of my home state.” CCEW includes students from a variety of majors and disciplines, according to a release from Southern Growth. Current interns range from ! nance to zoology majors. The program was created in 2006 and since then has helped gen-erate $4 million, new companies, licenses and intellectual property, according to the release.

—Kathleen Evans/The Daily

OU CENTER RECEIVES INNOVATOR AWARD

student education.FERPA excludes “records main-

tained by a law enforcement unit of the educational agency or institu-tion that were created by that law en-forcement unit for the purpose of law enforcement.”

The U.S. Department of Education has defined enforcement units as including commissioned officers or non-commissioned security guards authorized or designated to enforce state and local laws, or to “maintain the physical security and safety” of the campus.

Price said OSU’s parking citations “are processed through an adminis-trative process and are not created for a ‘law enforcement’ purpose.”

An attorney for the Student Press Law Center, however, disagreed with Price’s interpretation of the statute.

“The definition of law enforcement unit is any part of the school that is of-ficially authorized to enforce any state, local or federal law, or to refer people to proper authorities for violations of those laws,” said Adam Goldstein. “It

doesn’t matter who is writing these tickets — if the dean of students is writ-ing parking tickets, the dean’s office is a law enforcement unit under the regu-lations and can’t cite FERPA to avoid disclosing law enforcement records.”

A 1998 written opinion by the Kansas attorney general drew a distinction be-tween parking citations enforceable as misdemeanors and those enforceable only as administrative policies.

“If a university’s parking rules and policies are legally enforceable as a misdemeanor, then the parking tick-ets may be exempt from FERPA as law enforcement records and thus not sub-ject to its confidentiality requirements,” the opinion stated. “Alternately, if the

parking tickets are only enforceable on an administrative level within the university, they are more analogous to disciplinary records, which we believe are ‘education records,’ which are gen-erally closed by FERPA.”

According to OSU policies, “Parking rules and regulations are enforced on campus by OSU police officers and OSU parking cadets.”

OU’s parking regulations are en-forced primarily by Parking Control personnel of the Parking Office.

“University parking citations are ad-judicated wholly within the University as an administrative process,” accord-ing to OU policy.

OSU’s Price also said that even if the records were considered law enforce-ment records exempted from FERPA, they would not be subject to the state Open Records Act because they are not explicitly listed in the statute as records that police must provide to the public.

Nelon and Minnis, each of whom has handled open records cases, dis-agreed with Price’s interpretation.

Nelon said while the term “citation” is not used, “a citation presumably in-cludes the kinds of information identi-fied” in the list.

“Parking citations ought to be made available as public records,” Nelon said.

Parking

Continues from page 1

“It doesn’t matter who is writing these tickets — if the dean of students is writing parking tickets, the dean’s of! ce is a law enforcement unit ... and can’t cite FERPA to avoid disclosing law enforcement records.”—ADAM GOLDSTEIN, STUDENT PRESS LAW CENTER ATTORNEY

PHOTO PROVIDED

Annelise Russell, opinion editordailyopinion@ou.edu • phone: 325-3666 • fax: 325-6051

COMMENT OF THE DAY »In response to Wednesday’s column “America should stop dreaming and confront reality.”YOU CAN COMMENT ATOUDAILY.COM

“Wonderful article, Matt. Thank you.While you (mostly) refrain from politicizing in this article--to your credit--such is necessary.It’s disturbing that large factions of Americans can continue to evangelize their “American Dream!” rhetoric

when such pervasive inequality exists.Likewise, it’s unacceptable that politicians can simultaneously acknowledge this inequality while defending classist social systems (like American health-care, for instance).”- U2DY

4A Thursday, May 6, 2010

Jamie Hughes Editor-in-ChiefCaitlin Harrison Managing EditorRicky Maranon Assignment EditorLauren Harned Design ChiefChris Lusk Copy ChiefMichelle Gray Photo EditorMarcin Rutkowski Assistant Photo Editor

Reneé Selanders, Amanada Turner News EditorsJames Lovett Online EditorMark Potts Multimedia EditorAaron Colen Sports EditorJoshua Boydston Life & Arts EditorJudy Gibbs Robinson Editorial AdviserThad Baker Advertising Manager

The Oklahoma Daily is a public forum and OU’s independent student voice.Letters should concentrate on issues, not personalities, and should be fewer than 250 words, typed, double spaced and signed by the author(s). Letters will be cut to fit. Students must list their major and classification. OU staff and faculty must list their title. All letters must include a daytime phone number. Authors submitting letters in person must present photo identification. Submit letters Sunday through Thursday, in 160 Copeland Hall. Letters can also be submitted via e-mail to dailyopinion@ou.edu.

Guest columns are accepted at editor’s discretion.’Our View’ is the voice of The Oklahoma Daily. Editorial Board members are The Daily’s editorial staff. The board meets Sunday through Thursday at 4:30 p.m. in 160 Copeland Hall. Columnists’ and cartoonists’ opinions are not necessarily the opinions of The Daily Editorial Board.

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T O D

OUR VIEW

Suns send subtle political message

Religion — for the most part — is a ter-rible, awful idea. But more specifically Christianity, and even more the credence these Christians live by: The Bible.

Why the Bible? It is a book that has been handed to

man from man with hundreds of thou-sands of mistakes through copy editing, emperors of the past and ulterior motives

of the authors. C h r i s t i a n i t y ha s

evolved a lot since its origins. If we go back 2,000 years ago, Christianity was a very radical idea led by a very radical man.

This man, Jesus, taught some very un-precedented ideas, such as turn the other cheek, do unto others

as you would have them do unto you and even give away all of your possessions so that you may enter into the kingdom of heaven.

But because of Jesus’ radical ideas, he was persecuted in a horrific manner and later subjected to a death of brutal suffo-cation between two criminals.

Even though Jesus was a radical and a criminal he is still one of the most re-vered persons today, and his teachings continue to be taught and read around the world.

However Jesus did not write the Bible. The Bible was written by man — fallible man at that.

The Bible was written by Jesus’ dis-ciples (who had their own agendas) and then copied hundreds of thousands of times which lead to hundreds of thou-sands of mistakes, according to Bart Ehrman, professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

In his book “Misquoting Jesus” ( a tex-tual criticism on the New Testament), he

says, “one of the problems with ancient Greek texts (writings including the New Testament) is that when they were cop-ied, no marks of punctuation were used, no distinction made between lowercase and uppercase letters, and, even more bi-zarre to modern readers, no spaces used to separate the words.”

Obviously this leads to great problems to future scribes when they are transcrib-ing the texts.

Take for instance this example Ehrman uses, “the words godisnowhere could mean quite different things to a theist (God is now here) and an atheist (God is nowhere).”

Not only were there mistakes with transcription, but purposeful mistakes made by the authors to change the mean-ing to fit their own agenda.

Such as Constantine at the Council of Nicaea to issue the relationship between Jesus and God the father in order to bet-ter unite his kingdom.

Why do I write about the Bible? The Bible is the foundation of many Christian’s beliefs. It is a book that many Christians derive their teachings from, there ways of life and even what they teach their children.

I believe that few people understand that the Bible is not a book that was passed down from an all encompassing being to man. Rather it was written by man for man.

It is a book that has evolved during the past 2,000 years by mistakes through transcription and translation.

This book should not be such a staple in the majority of people’s lives. I even hesitate to say that the Bible should be used as an historical text.

It even has the date of the Earth wrong.

Chris Gibbons is a botany and chemistry junior.

CHRISGIBBONS

Normally I don’t like to make bold statements, but in similar fashion to Sandra Bullock, I just can’t keep this se-cret to myself anymore.

Dinosaurs still exist.While you might call me crazy for mak-

ing such a claim, I have proof that they continue to live undetected in society and have done so since the early 1900s.

Dinosaurs still exist people — just look at Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz..

Yes, these dino-saurs have essentially flourished during their time in control of the U.S. Legislature, but with my revelation I think that’s all about to change soon enough.

W h e n P re s i d e nt Barack Obama began

his term, he inherited a congress filled with thousands of years worth of history and fossils.

Well maybe thousands of years is a little exaggerated, but honestly it’s probably close enough for some of the ageless won-ders who inhabit the House and Senate.

Not to say they don’t serve a purpose, but I’m pretty sure we’re all in agreement that once you’re past the age of 50, you don’t really serve a purpose in general, much less on Capitol Hill.

Don’t get me wrong though, I’m not saying that our grandparents and elders don’t occupy an important place in soci-ety. As a matter of fact, I can’t think of a better place where they could be making a difference than as a door greeter at the local Wal-Mart or as the driver of that un-bearably slow car in front of you.

All jokes aside, when Obama took of-fice in January 2009, he officially inherited a House of Representatives with an aver-age of 57 and a Senate with an average age of 63.

The oldest member, 92-year-old Sen.

Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., is obviously the leader of the pack, but sources tell me that he isn’t getting any younger or less senile.

But while Byrd may hold seniority in the Senate, 87-year-old Rep. Ralph Hall, R-Texas, maintains control of his house with an wrinkled, yet iron-fisted grip at the top of the pyramid.

And while you might think these di-nosaurs all managed to avoid extinction simply by being elected to their current post in the government, they can be seen in all facets of society.

I distinctly remember watching Larry King Live the other night and I couldn’t recall the last time I heard him spit out a coherent sentence without stumbling over his words like Ke$ha on a Friday night.

And let’s be honest, Larry probably couldn’t tell you the last time either.

But believe it or not my paleontological mission doesn’t end there, and I refuse to let the subject fade into obscurity — as much as everyone else wishes it would.

I investigated the man formerly known as Joe Torre, who I will now affection-ately refer to by the scientific name of Doucheasaurus Rex.

I discovered that D. Rex is a relatively young dinosaur in terms of age (only 69 in human years), but his reputation defi-nitely took quite a hit after managing the Yankees for 12 seasons.

But let’s be honest here, despite the serious tone of the column, the threat of extinction remains a serious issue.

Without a conscientious effort to help protect our remaining dinosaurs, we could be facing a reality where our pre-historic friends are no longer able to pass legislation, interview celebrities or even manage MLB baseball teams.

It’s time to face reality. I know dinosaurs still exist. I just hope I’m not the only one.

Ricky Ly is a sophomore biochemistry major.

One NBA team took a stand against Arizona’s recent immigration legislation Wednesday night.

The Phoenix Suns battled with San Antonio last night in the second round of the NBA playoffs, but the lead story coming out of the game was not the box score, but the attire.

The Suns made an unprecedented move to change jerseys, with the new uniform reading “Los Suns.” The switch was in response to the new Arizona legislation that many people are calling a step toward racial profiling.

The San Antonio Spurs even tried to make

a similar jersey change to Los Spurs, but there was not enough time to make the switch.

Baseball has been through multiple Congressional hearings over the proposed doping in the major leagues.

Track and field has had similar drug-relat-ed issues with its athletes, and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger cannot seem to stay out of trouble or a negative public light.

When athletes get involved in politics or the law, it is usually because they are in trou-ble, but the Suns’ response to the immigra-tion legislation is actually one example of a

sports team taking a political stance in a posi-tive way. This type of subtle political response from athletes is refreshing. Rarely do we see politics and sports mixing in harmony.

Athletes, whether they like it or not, take on a celebrity status in the United States. This time, this group of athletes has chosen to use that status to send a message.

They are not using it to their own advan-tage or for a bigger bonus at the end of the season, but are thinking of a greater good.

The management of the Suns should be applauded for this action. There was no

screaming, name-calling or bickering to be heard. It was simply a silent reminder that we should appreciate all cultures.

We hope this sort of selfless political action spreads throughout professional and even collegiate sports.

Even at OU, athletes have a presence and a power to effect change. Using that power to call others to action isn’t a bad thing.

COMMENT ON THIS COLUMN AT OUDAILY.COM

Fallacies of biblical proportions Dinosaurs still exist — kind of

GUEST COLUMN STAFF COLUMN

Do you have something to say? The Oklahoma Daily is now hiring opinion columnists for the fall. To apply,

dailyopinion@ou.eduSend a copy of your writing and a resume with contact information.For more information on The Oklahoma Daily or OU Student Media,

visit OUDaily.com or www.studentmedia.ou.edu.

>> DON’T FORGET TO PICK UP THE FINAL’S WEEK EDITION OF THE DAILY NEXT WEEK.

RICKY LY

Freshman pitcher excells despite pressureand big expectationsAARON COLENSports Editor

High-profile college athletics are often defined by privi-leged players, high-paid coaches and corrupt athletic de-partments. Stories of academic fraud, recruiting violations and under-the-table benefits seem to always make the headlines.

The saddest part about that is the good stories go un-noticed. For a 6-foot 4-inch softball pitcher, the national headlines are one of the few places to go unnoticed.

OU freshman pitcher Keilani Ricketts may not get all the attention on ESPN, but she’s gotten plenty of it for her size, and more importantly her exceptional ability on the soft-ball field.

However, Ricketts doesn’t do anything to draw that at-tention to herself. On the contrary, she almost hides from it.

OU softball head coach Patty Gasso said she noticed when she first met Ricketts that she wasn’t necessarily comfortable in the spotlight.

“I was shocked by how reserved she was,” Gasso said. “She was shy, almost embarrassed at times. She really just didn’t say much.”

Quiet as she might be, Ricketts can turn heads without saying a word. An All-American and national champion in high school, Ricketts has been catching peoples’ attention for years.

Ricketts was born and raised in San Jose, Calif., with her two sisters, Samantha and Stephanie, and brother Richard.

She was raised in an environment that encouraged par-ticipation in sports, and she and her sisters took to softball.

“Our lives always involved a lot of softball,” Samantha said. “We worked a lot together because I was a catcher and they were both pitchers.”

The fact that Stephanie was a pitcher as well meant that she and Keilani had a competitive relationship. They are now both Division 1 softball pitchers, with Stephanie pitching for the University of Hawaii.

“With Stephanie and I being closer in age and playing the same position, I always tried to compete with her,” Ricketts said.

Samantha, however, was more of a mentor to Ricketts.

“Because there is a five-year difference with Keilani, I know she looks up to me,” Samantha said.

That admiration played a part in bringing Ricketts to OU. Samantha had a productive four-year career for the Sooners, setting hitting and home-run records during her time in Norman. She now works as a graduate assistant for the team.

“Sam being here helped the recruiting process,” Gasso said. “She gave Keilani a sense of security and has helped her out.”

Ricketts turned down offers from prestigious softball pro-grams, such as Washington, Florida and UCLA, for OU.

Now that she’s in Norman, nothing has changed. She is still drawing the attention of fans, scouts and opponents. She

is still impressing with her size, her demeanor and her tal-ent. And although everyone involved or interested in soft-ball seems to be paying attention to her, she isn’t paying much attention to them. Samantha said that is going to be important to Ricketts’ success.

“A lot of people are looking up to her,” Samantha said. “There is already a lot of attention on you as a pitcher, and the added pressure can be tough to manage for four years.”

Even though she has been anointed and has performed as a superstar player, Ricketts hasn’t let it change her. She is still the same quiet and reserved person she always has been.

“She is just an ordinary kid,” Gasso said. “The way she is, you can’t tell whether she’s winning or losing. That’s what makes her real.”

Despite her shyness, Ricketts has a great relationship with her teammates.

“She’s pretty open with all of them,” Samantha said. “They all get along really well. It’s like a big group of sisters.”

Ricketts’ shyness should not be viewed as a lack of con-fidence. Quite the opposite, actually.

“I just like to let my play speak for itself,” Ricketts said.Gasso also knows that Ricketts is aware of what she is

capable of.“She knows she has a gift,” Gasso said.She may know she has a gift, and she has the athletic

world in front of her with the sky as the limit, but Ricketts said humility will always be a priority to her.

“I just look at it as a blessing,” Ricketts said. “I know there are many people out there who would love to be where I am right now. I just want to take advantage of it.And taking advantage of opportunities is exactly what

Ricketts has done. She has the sixth-highest single-season strikeout total with one regular season game to play. Her ERA is 1.40, and she has 21 complete games and ten shutouts this year.

Ricketts is also a top-25 finalist for Collegiate Player of the Year.

Ricketts and the Sooners are ranked 12th in the nation with a 39-10 record and Ricketts herself is 24-8 on the mound in her first season. Gasso has high hopes for Ricketts’ career.

“I hope she reaches her full potential,” Gasso said. “She’s nowhere near as good as she will be. We’re just seeing the beginning of her.”

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Aaron Colen, sports editordailysports@ou.edu • phone: 325-3666 • fax: 325-6051

Thursday, May 6, 2010 5A

MERRILL JONES/THE DAILY

Keilani Ricketts, freshman pitcher, runs to first base after hitting the ball during the women’s softball game against Texas Tech on April 15 in the OU Softball Complex.

Quiet Sooner lets play speak for itself SOFTBALL«

The NCAA Regional began today. Preview atOUDAILY.COM

« WOMEN’S GOLF

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6A Thursday, May 6, 2010

Women’s, men’s teams will kick off ! rst-round play May 14

DANIELLE ALVADaily Staff Writer

After the NCAA’s selection show, the OU men’s and women’s tennis teams were selected for the 2010 NCAA Championships. OU will host one of the 16 regional spots.

The first and second round of the championships will commence May 14 and 15 at the Headington Family Tennis Center.

“ To h a v e b o t h men and women’s compete together is awesome,” junior Ta r a E c k e l s a i d . “We will be there for each other and hav-ing our home crowd will also be an advantage.”

The men’s bracket includes Big 12 foe Texas Tech, Tulsa and Wichita State. The team will face No. 40 Tulsa at 2 p.m. May 14.

The Sooners defeated Tulsa 4-3 on April 1 in Tulsa, and hold an overall record of 29-18 over the Golden Hurricanes.

Men’s head coach John Roddick said the team is eager to avenge its

loss to Texas Tech on April 30 in the Big 12 Championships in Austin. The Red Raiders defeated the Sooners 4-2.

“Playing another Big 12 team is great for us,” Roddick said. “Hosting regionals says a lot about our pro-gram, we are ready to get revenge on Tech and use the home court advantage.”

The women’s bracket includes rival Texas, Arkansas and Wichita State. The Sooners hope to con-

tinue their winning season, as they face No. 24 Arkansas in first-round play, said women’s head coach David Mullins.

“Seeing us make it and proving our-selves is a great feel-ing,” Mullins said. “We have already

played Arkansas once and hope to use that experience on Friday.”

Arkansas handed OU a 6-1 loss Feb. 28 in Fayetteville, Ark.

This is the sixth time the pro-gram has made it to the NCAA Championships. The women play at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 14.

“Just making it is an honor,” Eckel said. “We have come this far and are not ready for it to end just yet.”

OU CHOSEN TO HOST NCAA TENNIS REGIONAL

Sooners chasing 40-win season for the 17th-straight yearTOBI NEIDYDaily Staff Writer

With the post season in sight, the No. 12-ranked Sooners will finish the 2010 reg-ular season against North Texas at 6 p.m. today in Denton, Texas.

The Sooners are looking for their 17th-consecutive 40-win season under head coach Patty Gasso.

The Sooners are on a seven-game win streak, including winning both games against the Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday and Sunday in Norman.

The pair of wins to wrap up confer-ence play for the season was important to Sooners, especially going into the offseason.

“It was a great way to finish conference play like that at home,” freshman pitcher Michelle Gascoigne said. “We were really tired of leaving runners on base so we really wanted to step up.”

Gascoigne finished her fourth complete game of the season in the shutout against Kansas during the second game of the se-ries, retiring 10 batters and allowing just two hits for the game.

Although the post season certainly is on the team’s minds, seniors Amber Flores and Lindsey Vandever know not to look too far ahead and forget today’s game against the Mean Green.

“This week is definitely going to be about momentum,” Vandever said. “It’s going to be tough. North Texas is a good team.”

North Texas (26-17) is coming off a three game loss to Louisana-Lafayette last week-end. The Mean Green dropped the first two

games 2-0, 2-1 on Saturday, followed by a 9-0 loss Sunday.

Even though it may be the last games for Flores and Vandever, their goals continue to be success in the post season while taking advantage of the short time they have left as a Sooner.

“You see the time slipping away,” Flores said. “As a se-nior you begin to take things in a lot more. But you still have to go out to practice and work on the things you need to work on.”

Flores lead the team with .386 batting av-erage and is OU’s career home run leader with 53 career home runs. She also is four home runs shy of tying the conference ca-reer record. Flores leads the team’s on-base

percentage, walking 33 times and hit by a pitch 19 times.

Although success in the post season is a priority, the seniors also know not to put added pressure on the underclassmen sim-

ply because it is their last regular-season performance.

“All of the games this season lead up to [the post season],” Vandever said. “We want to lead the team as far as it can go, but not only because its our last games.”

And the seniors know that a win in Denton could be what this team needs for momentum in the post season.

“We have to go out there and play good softball,” Flores said. “We have to take this momentum into the Big 12 tournament.”

OU softball team looks to end regular season on winning streak

WILL BYRNE/THE DAILY

Ana-Maria Constantinescu, junior, returns a serve Sunday at Gregg Wadley Indoor Tennis Pavilion. The Sooners will host an NCAA regional May 14 and 15 at the Headington Family Tennis Center.

TENNIS REGIONALMay 14 at the Headington Family Tennis Center:

Women vs. Arkansas at 2 p.m.

Men vs. Tulsa at 2 p.m.

GAME TIME

Who: OU vs North TexasWhen: 6 p.m. todayWhere: Denton, Texas

THIS WEEKEND AT YOUR UNIVERSITY

Friday, May 7

Thursday, May 6

This University in compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, political beliefs, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admissions, employment, fi nancial aid and

educational services. For accommodations on the basis of disability, please contact the sponsoring department of any program or event.

Saturday, May 8

Sunday, May 9A Chorus Line | 3 p.m. in the Rupel J. Jones Theatre. University Theatre presents “A Chorus Line,” one singular sensation to fi nish the season! Call the Fine Arts Box Offi ce for more information, (405) 325-4101.

Free Movie: “Valentine’s Day” | free screening at 4, 7, 10 p.m. & 12:30 a.m. in Meacham Auditorium, Oklahoma Memorial Union. Presented by the Union Programming Board and Campus Activities Council Film Series. ALWAYS SOMETHING at the union!

A Chorus Line | 8 p.m. in the Rupel J. Jones Theatre. University Theatre presents “A Chorus Line,” one singular sensation to fi nish the season! Call the Fine Arts Box Offi ce for more information, (405) 325-4101.

OU Track & Field | Sooners will be competing in the Sooner Open all day at the John Jacobs Track Complex. Visit www.soonersports.com for more information.

A Chorus Line | 8 p.m. in the Rupel J. Jones Theatre. University Theatre presents “A Chorus Line,” one singular sensation to fi nish the season! Call the Fine Arts Box Offi ce for more information, (405) 325-4101.

Revisiting the New Deal: Government Patronage and the Fine Arts | new exhibition on display now through May 9 in the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. Visit www.ou.edu/fjjma for more information.

Late Night Breakfast | 8 p.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Food Court. If you’re studying up for fi nals in the union, stop by the food court to get a free hot breakfast. Hurry, it goes fast. Presented by the Union Programming Board , there’s ALWAYS SOMETHING at the union, www.ou.edu/upb.

A Chorus Line | 8 p.m. in the Rupel J. Jones Theatre. University Theatre presents “A Chorus Line,” one singular sensation to fi nish the season! Tickets are $25 for adults, $22 for seniors and OU faculty/staff and $15 for OU students. Call the Fine Arts Box Offi ce for more information, (405) 325-4101.

GOOD LUCKON

FINALS!

Thursday, May 6, 2010 1B

Joshua Boydston, L&A editordailyent@ou.edu • phone: 325-5189 • fax: 325-6051

THE ‘FINAL’ CONVERSATION OF THE SEMESTERTHE ‘FINAL’ CONVERSATION OF THE SEMESTERThe Daily’s Lunden England and Caitlin Turner have a text conversation over their dead week “activities”

(405): Caitlin… I think it’s time for finals again.(918): Lunden! OMG! I just woke up in a study room somewhere on campus. My backpack is full of empty “tweakers” bottles and some janitor is giving me the stink eye.(405): Sounds like my Friday night, except I woke up in a Denny’s dumpster. Maybe we need to regroup and get our study on.(918): For sure. I have 4 pa-pers to write and I intend on working in the phrase “this is what freedom tastes like” into every single one. Where do you want to work? Biz-Lib? Union? Louie’s Too?(405): Your mom’s house.(918): Nah, she is too busy with your dad right now. (405): Ok, let’s stop this mad-ness. I’ve stocked up on Hot Pockets and Yoo-hoo so far. I think we are set for some

cramming.(918): Listen, I need you to change my facebook pass-word for me. I just spent the last 30 minutes looking for pictures of my middle school boyfriend’s baby mama.(405): We’re mildly pathetic right now. I have an alchemy final tomorrow … how do I turn Helmann’s into gold?(918): Honestly, I think our best option is to sell back our books now, spend the cash on pizza shuttle and “Growing Pains” DVDs, and rely on Wikipedia for the rest of our academic needs.(405): I don’t think I’m ready to go back to “GP” … not since Boner died. And why does it feel like I’m constantly acting as your voice of reason? I think you need to come study.(918): You are right. What would I do without you? Is it time for my mid dead week emotional breakdown yet? I am going to drive to your house and you are going to in-dulge me and sing this Shania Twain duet with me weeping in your arms. (405): Sounds better than last time we studied together,

when all you did was whine about the government com-ing to take your babies.(918): Low blow, England. Need I remind you of the “cry-ing into my crunchy cheetos” incident of ’09? I still can’t look at a bag of chips the same way. I think we should set up a system of studying that al-lows for a youtube break every 15-20 minutes.(405): “Grape Lady Falls” still cracks my crap up. And that’s going to be us on the ground sobbing after we fail these tests.(918): Shut your face hole! Be positive! Do I need to get out my affirmation notebook again? I really think it is re-sponsible for turning those midterm grades from D’s to C’s.(405): Your lofty goals in life put mine to shame. Bravo.(918): Can I study in your bed? I think my brain could learn a thing or two from your memoryfoam mattress. And laying in a bed reading is as close as I am going to get to sleep for the next 4 days.(405): Only if you’ve gotten over your “incontinence is

cool” phase.(918): Yeah, I have never been more wrong about any-thing in my whole life. I just started reading over some of my notes and about 67% of them are artfully drawn lyrics to Modest Mouse songs. Do you have any 8 a.m. finals?(405): Don’t be stupid … ev-eryone knows 8 a.m. is a myth made up by parents to frighten their children. Taco Bell closes at 4 a.m. in the morning and the days starts again when it reopens at 10 a.m.(918): I have one. I hope my professor is cool with me wearing my snuggie to class and bringing my caffeine IV.He didn’t take too kindly to the petition I started to move the final time from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. I told him my reason had a lot to do with sleep and a little to do with happy hour.(405): And that’s why you can’t spell “class” without “Caitlin.” Well, actually you can … And on that note, you’re ruining my life a little bit right

now. Imma run down to the bookstore and get my text-book so I can study.(918): Holla. I am going to start writing my “my life is in

shambles so take pity on me” emails to my professors. Call me after you graduate and we can do a therapeutic burning of all of your school supplies.

« TOMORROWWill “Iron Man 2” live up to its predecessor? Check out Friday’s paper to ! nd out.

MARCIN RUTKOWSKI/THE DAILY

The Daily’s Lunden England and Caitlin Turner sit down surrounded by textbooks, empty pizza boxes and other finals paraphernalia.

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2B Thursday, May 6, 2010

An OU student gets the opportunity to spend 12 days on tour with Stardeath and White Dwarfs and The Flaming LipsMATT CARNEYDaily Staff Writer

When Evan French’s close friend and future roommate asked him to help him out of a jam last summer, the fifth-year aviation student couldn’t resist an adventure.

“I’d been taking a microeconomics intersession class for a week already, and I’m like, ‘are you kidding me?’” French said. “You know if you ask me this I can’t say no.”

French’s friend was Matt Duckworth, drummer for one of Oklahoma’s best-known rock bands Stardeath and White Dwarfs, whose lights guy had just been hired away by the Flaming Lips. He was offering a spot on their bus for their west coast tour.

“It’s like the opportunity of a lifetime-kind of deal,” French said.

Apparently French encounters opportunities of a lifetime pretty frequently because he recently reprised his role working lights for Stardeath, a 12-day stint he spent crammed into a tour-ing bus as it traversed the northeast, climbing out to work crew, work lights and generally experience life in between concert venues.

“The most surreal part about it is waking up and the bus is stopped and off … and looking out the window and just trying to figure out where you are,” French said.

The touring bus carried French, the bands and crew all the way to 30 Rockefeller Center in New York City for an April 16 date with “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.”

“I was just standing out in the hall, talking to Matt or some-body and Fred Armisen walks up,” French said. “He was like, ‘Is this the Lips’ dressing room?’”

Armisen proceeded to tour Wayne Coyne, Lips guitarist Steven Drozd and a lost-for-words French through the halls of NBC, where he spotted Saturday Night Live cast members and The Roots drummer Questlove, who’s in Fallon’s backing band.

“He’s huge! I just remember his butt,” he said with a laugh. “It’s the size of this table.”

“It’s surreal standing there,” he said of the SNL set. “You walk in the sound stage and there it is, the bandstand where the host comes out and does their monologue. It’s weird, it was surreal.”

When asked about the toll taken by missing two weeks of class, French shrugs.

“Since this one happened in the middle of the semester, it was a little more tough to figure out,” he said. “But it somehow always worked out”

Afternoons usually offered free time, so French often had to find a coffee shop to get done what school work he could. He doesn’t approve of torpedoing grades unless he’s following a

dream. “I’ve got a lot more stuff that I want to do, and I would

do any of those over missing class for two weeks” he said.

French describes the road experience with the Lips and Stardeath as a big family outing that few other mu-sicians share with their roadies and crew.

“The way that the crew and the band themselves operate is absolutely unheard of,” French said. “Wayne is up with the crew in the morning to check out the venue, he’s around all day either managing or help-ing out doing manual labor. Michael [Ivins], the bass player likes being in the crew better than being in the band. Their routine was really inspiring.”

When asked if Flaming Lips show, with all it its happy madness and confetti splendor ever sinks into being ‘just part of the routine,’ French shakes his head and recalls the experience with awe.

“Absolutely not … If anything it just makes it so much better, doing that almost every night for two weeks,” French said. “If I hadn’t done anything to pur-sue the dreams I had for so long, this never would’ve happened.”

The fifth-year student recently added a second de-gree in aerospace engineering, an effort at fulfilling his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut. He may well become the first applicant to NASA with a recom-mendation letter from Wayne Coyne.

NOT A BAD PART-TIME JOB

PHOTOS PROVIDED

Pictures of The Flaming Lips — taken by aviation student Evan French — during its recent northeast tour that French got the opportunity to assist with.

MATT CARNEY/THE DAILY

Evan French, aviation senior, poses Monday evening at Gray Owl Coffee. French ran the light show for Star Death and the White Dwarfs when the band toured with The Flaming Lips earlier this year.

Thursday, May 6, 2010 3B

DIRECTOR RECOUNTS FILMING PROCESS

MARKPOTTS

Editor’s Note: Mark Potts is the multimedia editor at The Oklahoma Daily. He also writes, directs and stars in his own feature ! lms, the latest of which will be screened at dead-CENTER Film Festival in June.

The rain falls in sheet on this cold night. A man cradles a baby tightly against his damp jacket, trying to shade its fresh face from the rain. He’s never been in this city before. Everyone ig-

nores his pleas for help. Protecting this child is so important to him. But more important-ly, my film is playing in a film festival.

“Simmons on Vinyl” is the second feature film of Singletree Productions, the company started by myself and OU graduate, Cole Selix.

I might be biased when I say it is fantastic, but aren’t we all a little biased? For example, you probably think what you’re wearing is nice. You’re biased, but that’s OK (I will say, those shoes are amazing!)

The film will screen June 11 in (Art Space) at Untitled as part of the deadCENTER Film Festival.

This is the festival’s 10th, and biggest, year. It goes from June 9 to 13 and features some of the best independent films you can find. It’s also a mecca for Oklahoma talent, featuring two screenings of Oklahoma short films and plenty of Oklahoma-made short films include “1 in 3,” an emotional film about do-mestic abuse directed by Lagueria Davis and “The Rounder Comes to Town,” an Oklahoma gothic film about deception, lust and greed, directed by Adam Davis Beatty.

And then there is “Simmons on Vinyl,” a tale of love, women, babies, and kidnapping. Zeek is in love. With the help of his friends, he goes on search for a vinyl record that takes him on a wild chase all across town, running into mean high school punks, troubled bosses, kidnappings and even a very difficult dance off challenge — all in hopes that the record will nab the heart of his dream girl.

“Simmons” was shot in the fall of 2008 in three weeks and completed April 2009. I wish I could tell you how much we

spent on it, but we don’t want to brag. We received funds from some pretty important people, and I do not want to sound conceited.

I’m just kidding. It cost $300, which was about $300 more than we could afford to spend. But it is a good lesson in what is more important about filmmaking: the story. It does not matter what equipment you use, what you edit on, or how many ex-plosions you have (thought more explosions often equals more awesome [but awesome doesn’t mean better, does it? {not re-ally, look at Michael Bay films (wait now hold on, Bay’s films are amazing! [but are they good? {oh damn, good point}])}]).

The film stars Selix, OU journalism student — and Daily multimedia reporter — Brand Rackley (he is the good looking one. And yes, I say that knowing I very much look like George Clooney) and myself. We decided to make this film because we loved our experience shooting The Stanton Family Grave Robbery, our first feature film, which was recently named one of Oklahoma’s top-10 feature films of the last decade by the Oklahoma Gazette. We spent nearly nine months preparing to shoot that film. We spent two weeks on Simmons.

It was frightening to not have that time to prepare, to re-hearse, or to iron out important details. But I think that helped. It’s a frantic film, moving quickly from one place to another. We would rehearse before we shot, but this often meant finding different ways to say lines. To be honest, if you compared the script to what is on the screen, you’d find a lot of variation (and a lot less nudity in the script.)

But when it was all said and done, we came away with a project that we really liked and were proud of. And if I could give one piece of advice to other filmmakers, it’s to just go with the flow when creating a film. Let your creativity and others’ take you to new ideas, new ways of doing things, and to an ulti-mately better product. You don’t need a lot of money and you don’t need the fanciest cameras. All you need is a good story and people with passion.

And that’s what is great about most film festivals. If you have a love for cinema, a love for storytelling and a love for the art of filmmaking, festivals are where you need to be. It is truly an honor to be a part of this amazing Oklahoma film festival.

Mark Potts is a journalism graduate student.

END-OF-SCHOOL BASHES PLANNED BY NORMAN VENUE Feeling the itch for some live music? Have looming ! nals had you on lockdown the past few weekends. Well, music lovers/dedicated students are in luck. Opolis is planning a two-day end-of-school bash with a host of local and national bands pro-viding the entertainment. The ! rst night will showcase a handful of tal-ented acts from all over the state, including Tulsa’s Native Lights, Stillwater’s Mayola and Oklahoma City’s Student Film and, show headliners, The Non, the band’s ! rst gig since its capacity-crowd show at Sooner Theatre during Norman Music Festival.

The next night will be headlined by Austin’s Foot Patrol, a funk/dance band, with more bands to be announced. The shows will begin at 9 p.m. May 14 and 15 and cost $10 and $8, respectively. And if you finish finals before the rest of us (jerk), you can get a laugh with Neil Hamburger, JP INC and Cameron Buchholtz at 9 p.m. May 11 for $12 or rock out with Shitty/Awesome, Easy Lovers and White Girls at 9 p.m. May 12 for $5. Opolis is located on 113 N. Crawford Avenue in Norman.

-Joshua Boydston, psychology junior

PHOTO PROVIDED

The promotional poster from the film “Simmons on Vinyl,” a film — written and acted in by several OU students — that will screen at the deadCENTER Film Festival on June 11 in (Art Space) at Untitled in Oklahoma City.

STS9, THE BLACK KEYS, GHOSTLAND OBSERVATORY TO PLAY SHOWS IN TULSA The historic Cain’s Ballroom has added a host of big name shows to its event calendar over the summer and fall. Former Norman Music Festival headliner of Montreal will perform at 7 p.m. May 25 for $25. Mash-up genius Girl Talk will get the party started at 7 p.m. June 3 for $22. Drive-By Truckers will support its Daily-approved album “The Big To Do” at 7 p.m. June 19 for $25.with female rockers Eisley coming less than a week later on June 25 for $17 San Diego band Delta Spirit will kick off a slew of July shows at 7 p.m. July 14 for $13, followed by

performances by Ted Nugent (July 18 for $35.75) and New Pornographers with The Dodos (July 25 for $26). A few months later, STS9 will perform a show with Austin favorite Ghostland Observatory at the Rivers Park Amphitheater on Sept. 3 at 6 p.m. for $34. And blues rock favorite The Black Keys — whose new album, “Brothers,” comes out May 18 — will play at 7 p.m. Oct. 10 for $33. More summer and fall shows will be announced over the coming months

-Joshua Boydston, psychology junior

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NOTTINGHAM 2 bd, 2 bath, w/d, fi re-place, cfans, lg closets, no pets, covered parking, $695/mo. 360-4107.

2400 sq ft, 2811 Castlewood Drive2 or 3 bd, 2.5 ba, completely remodeled. Part of Castlewood HOA, access to pool and common area, $1000/dep, no pets,$1500/mo, includes HOA dues. 550-7069.

HOUSES UNFURNISHEDVERY NICE THREE BDRM, 2.5 bth, JA-CUZZI on enclosed balcony, 2 FIREPLAC-ES, Security System, W/D, Microwave, Frig & Small GARDEN area. $1200/mo. 831 Rambling Oaks. 650-7969

TOWNHOUSES UNFURNISHEDTaylor Ridge Townhomes

2 Bdrm, 2.5 Bath, Fully RenovatedTownhomes near OU!

Pets Welcome! • Call for current ratesand Move-in Specials!!!Taylor Ridge Townhomes

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Employment

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APTS. UNFURNISHED

Thad Baker, advertising managerclassifieds@ou.edu • phone: 325-2521 • fax: 325-7517

4B Thursday, May 6, 2010

Instructions:Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.

Previous Solution

Monday- Very EasyTuesday-EasyWednesday- EasyThursday- MediumFriday - Hard

9 5 4 2 6 7 1 3 88 1 6 3 4 5 7 9 23 7 2 9 8 1 6 5 42 4 9 6 5 8 3 1 76 8 5 7 1 3 4 2 91 3 7 4 2 9 5 8 65 2 8 1 7 6 9 4 34 6 3 5 9 2 8 7 17 9 1 8 3 4 2 6 5

9 4 86 5 7

8 3 92 8 3 9 6

7 1 5 9 82 5 19 5 7

3 2 8Universal Crossword

BODY COUNT by Jill Pepper

ACROSS 1 Fly without

an engine 6 Decorated a

cake 10 Check out

shamelessly 14 Pro bowler’s

supply 15 Urban

transport 16 Ill-mannered

minor 17 Bristling with

firepower 20 Grant 21 Praise to the

skies 22 Whiny, as a

voice 25 Saltpeter 26 Part of B&O 30 Two-colored

cookie 32 Toiletry that

beautifies 35 “Been there,

done that” feeling

41 Really thin 43 Scavenger

hunt participant

44 Breaks up, as a group

45 Vast in scope

47 Not too far away

48 Sneak away from

53 October yard worker

56 “Move on already!”

58 Louisiana soups

63 With barely enough to get by on

66 Between gigs

67 Phone button below the 7

68 African tribesman

69 Rock guitarist Lofgren

70 Comfortable, as accommo-dations (Var.)

71 “Three Sisters” playwright Chekhov

DOWN 1 Impolitely

take 2 Anecdotal

history 3 Distinctive

doctrines 4 Word in

many soft drink names

5 Finish with, as a high note

6 Skating champ Midori

7 Meow Mix consumer

8 Personal trainer’s instruction

9 Gave up the ghost

10 Old manuscript markings

11 ___ Barrier Reef

12 Cafe pick-me-up

13 Anesthetic of yore

18 Defunct airline 19 252-gallon

unit 23 “And ___

conclusion ...”

24 Peace-and-quiet venue

26 Andes tubers 27 Flaw, as in a

theory 28 Anagram of

“lies” 29 Railway on

the Trans-Siberian Railway

31 Track postings

33 Barely make (out)

34 Economical backyard swing

36 Fall back, as the ocean

37 Folk singer Baez

38 First name of Henry VIII’s second

39 Sacred Hindu writing

40 Pre-1991 superpower

42 Shaving wound

46 Lickety-split 48 Like Keebler

cookie makers

49 “Aida” composer

50 Circular coral reef island

51 Early phone fees

52 Suffix of some ordinal numbers

54 Type of trip 55 Cuban dance 57 Swordplay

injury 59 Verbalize an

ache 60 Attempt to

squeeze someone in?

61 Kevin’s “A Fish Called Wanda” role

62 Give the cold shoulder to

64 Hoover or Aswan

65 Word repeat-ed after “If at first you don’t succeed”

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

Edited by Timothy E. Parker May 06, 2010

© 2010 Universal Uclickwww.upuzzles.com

Thursday, May 6, 2010

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) - Strong urges to get things done and out of the way will overtake any thoughts of playing. Now is the time to take on those projects that previously had ap-peared too diffi cult to tackle.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) - Projects that call for using the full scope of your talents will be the type of tasks you’ll truly relish working on. The more creative you can be, the better you’ll like it.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) - In some instances, your instincts could be more depend-able than your logic. In order to differentiate between the two, follow what your intuition is telling you.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) - Someone who is close to you may need a lot of tender treat-ment in order to be appeased, so don’t try to reach this person through practicality. Instead appeal to his/her emotions.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) - Because of the pride you’ll take in performing a task for another today, no supervision will be needed to keep your mind on the job. The results will provide all the evidence.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Being in love with love has its place, but you may need to know when and how to keep your emotions under control today. If you don’t, you could drive everybody else crazy.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) - Even though you’re likely to have lots of interesting things to do today, you might have to consider giving family affairs more attention than you intended. Know when to make that choice.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) - Communication with someone in particular might become more important than usual, with either you trying to contact this person or s/he eagerly trying to get in touch with you.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) - You’ve always had a good eye for a bargain, and today your vision will be especially keen. This could be an extremely good day to go shopping for some expensive items on your list.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) - It might be more impor-tant than usual to do what you want to do and when you want to do it. In order to satisfy these urges, it’s best if you could fi nd a way to become a loner.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) - To your credit, you’ve always been responsive to those who need your help, which is good, because today you may be called upon to make a big sacrifi ce for a good friend in need.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) - Treating everyone in a friendly manner makes you an enjoyable person to be around today. In fact, by doing so it encourages the world to actually see you as a close pal.

HOROSCOPE By Bernice Bede Osol

Copyright 2008, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

Previous Answers

Thursday, May 6, 2010 5B

Gun-bill veto override failsOKLAHOMA CITY — A

group of Oklahoma state senators on Wednesday failed to override Gov. Brad Henry’s veto of a bill that would exempt firearms and ammunition produced and kept in the state from federal regulations.

T h e R e p u b l i c a n -controlled Senate voted 28-16 on Wednesday with 36 votes needed to override the Democratic governor’s veto of the “Oklahoma Firearms Freedom Act.” There was no debate.

Under the bill, firearms, gun accessories or ammu-nition made in Oklahoma would not be subject to in-terstate commerce laws and federal regulations if they remain in the state.

In h i s v e t o m e s s a g e, Henry warned the bill would give criminals easy access to a wide array of weapons and would undoubtedly face a successful legal challenge.

“ B y s u s t a i n i n g G o v. Henry’s veto, those senators probably saved lives and cer-tainly saved Oklahoma tax-payers tens of thousands of dollars in unnecessary legal fees,” Henry spokesman Paul Sund said Wednesday.

Sen. Randy Brogdon, who is running for governor, vowed to try again to over-ride the veto.

“ I k n o w m o s t o f t h e D e m o c r a t s w h o v o t e d against the override today,

a fair portion of them, are Second Amendment sup-porters, so I think they’ve turned their back on their beliefs and exchanged that for a partisan vote,” said Brogdon, R-Owasso. “And I think that is somewhat shameful.”

Brogdon’s bill passed the 48-member Senate on a 39-3 vote March 3.

It required a three-fourths majority to override the gov-ernor’s veto because the bill included an emergency clause, meaning it would have taken effect immedi-ately with the governor’s signature.

A similar House bill with no emergency clause passed the House on Wednesday 81-14. If that bill were ve-toed, it would require only a two-thirds majority in both chambers to override.

S e n . C h a r l i e L a s t e r, Democrat leader in the Senate, said Wednesday he was confident Brogdon w o u l d n o t g e t e n o u g h Democratic votes to over-ride a veto of either bill.

“If this bill becomes law, it would be the equivalent of giving machine guns to wing nut militia sympathizers,” said Laster, D-Shawnee. “It puts the safety of Oklahoma men, women and children in danger.”

Similar bills have been p a s s e d i n M o n t a n a , South Dakota, Utah and

STATE BRIEFS

Dems want rollback of tax credits

AP PHOTO

Sen. Randy Brogdon, R-Owasso, gestures as he speaks on the Senate floor Wednesday. Brogdon’s effort to override the gover-nor’s veto of a bill that would exempt Oklahoma-made firearms and ammunition from federal regulations has failed.

The Oklahoman announces 57 new layoffsOKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoman says 7 percent of its

employees will be laid off because of what it calls a struggling advertising environment.

Oklahoma’s largest newspaper announced the layoffs Wednesday.

The cuts of 57 people are in all departments and include 19 in the newsroom. The staff reduction is about one-third the size of the last round of job cuts at The Oklahoman in October 2008.

Publisher David Thompson says advertising volume is soft for all media and is in the biggest downturn since the Depression.

Thompson said The Oklahoman’s website is seeing an audi-ence increase and that home-delivery subscriptions are rising.

He also said digital specialists are working to bring the news-paper to new platforms such as the Apple iPad.—AP

Bill would create special-needs scholarshipsOKLAHOMA CITY — Supporters of a bill that would qualify stu-

dents with autism or other disabilities to receive publicly funded scholarships say it will increase their educational opportunities.The measure’s author, Rep. Jason Nelson, R-Oklahoma City, said Wednesday the measure will soon be considered by a joint House-Senate conference committee before returning to the chambers for separate votes.

The measure would qualify special needs students with an individualized education program for a state-funded scholarship to attend any school accredited by the state Board of Education.—AP

Ex-auditor seeking conviction dismissal TULSA — An attorney for the former state auditor and inspector

says her client’s convictions on corruption charges should be over-turned because his jury was given faulty instructions.

Carolyn Merritt told a three-judge panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday that the trial judge misinformed jurors about what evidence was needed to ! nd Jeff McMahan guilty.

Federal prosecutor Ryan Roberts argued that U.S. District Judge James Payne’s instructions were consistent with what he’s seen in the 10th Circuit, and he asked that McMahan’s convic-tions be af! rmed.—AP

Wyoming.The federal Bureau of

Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives sparked a court challenge in Montana when it told all licensed gun dealers in the state last year that they were still bound by federal gun regulations. The Montana Shooting Sports Association and other pro-

gun groups sued.The U.S. Department of

Justice has alleged in court filings that the Montana plaintiffs lack standing and that enactment of federal firearms laws are a valid exercise of congressional power to regulate commerce under the Constitution. —AP

OKL AHOMA CIT Y — House Democrats called on Republican legislative lead-ers Wednesday to consider rolling back some state tax credits to help fund public education and other services hit hard by a $1.2 billion rev-enue shortfall.

H o u s e D e m o c r a t i c Leader-elect Scott Inman of Del City said the state hands out $5.6 billion in tax credits each year and that lawmak-ers could recover up to $500 million for public services by imposing a 10 percent cut or

moratorium on selected tax credits.

“Many of these credits claim to create jobs and spur the economy,” Inman said Wednesday at a news conference where he was flanked by 20 members of the House’s minority party.

But, he said, many of the credits are sold to out-of-state companies that never create a job or result in in-vestment in the state.

Inman said a lot of tax credits “have become noth-ing more than a shell game.”

He would not identify spe-cific tax credit programs that should be reduced or eliminated.

House Speaker Chris Benge, R-Tulsa, agreed that there are ineffective tax credits on the books that can be eliminated and said lawmakers are working with Democratic Gov. Brad Henry to balance the state budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. —AP 5$ off

couponsooneryearbook

Sooner yearbook is a publication of OU Student Media in the division of Student Affairs. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.

www.studentmedia.ou.edu

405.325.3668

visit our art gallery today

to see our award-winning photos and designs!

{ {

The air inside McCasland Fieldhouse was hot and sticky as the lights went out. A whistle blew and a single line of 30 fraternity brothers began a trip of staccato rhythm around the perimeter of the floor seating area. With the first echoing thud of the step leader, one thing was certain — Stompdown was back.

Returning to OU for the first time since 2008, Stompdown 2010: The Prestige delighted an estimated audience of 1,800 in McCasland Fieldhouse.

National Panhellenic Council President Alisa Tillman said the two-year absence allowed organizers to rework some aspects of the event that had suffered in past years, changes reflected even in the night’s theme.

“The theme came about as I was watching [The Prestige],” Tillman said. “I really liked the idea of bringing Stompdown back as a more prestigious event.”

Event Coordinator Tasha Mosley said that Stompdown’s time away from campus helped increase awareness of the event, evidenced by the amount of tickets sold in the event’s first pre-sale.

Step teams from OU, Oklahoma State University, the University of Texas at Arlington and Texas A&M University competed for a $2,500 cash prize and the title of 2010 Stompdown Champions.

Mosley said that including other universities was the idea of the committee.

“In the past, Stompdown was more localized,” Mosley said. “I had a great committee who helped expand this event out to other schools.”

In the men’s category, the OU Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha took home top honors, while OU’s Delta

Sigma Theta took home the prize in the women’s category. A panel of seven judges voted on the winning routines.

Alpha Phi Alpha step team member Rashid Foster said that Stompdown’s absence only magnified the excitement of winning.

“Every year everybody waits for Stompdown,” Foster said. “Winning in Stompdown’s first year back makes the late nights worth it.”

For Delta Sigma Theta, winning the return of Stompdown had everything to do with tradition.

“[Delta Sigma Theta] won in 2007 and 2008,” said Ryann Davis, a member of the sorority’s step team. “It feels wonderful to be able to carry on the tradition.”

Step teams had 10 minutes to perform, and all teams intertwined drama and dance with the step routines. All performances were based on a theme, ranging from a Beauty and the Geek story, performed by OU’s Alpha Phi Alpha, to a retelling of Nightmare on Elm Street, performed by Delta Sigma Theta.

Ki’Andra Singletary said choosing a theme was easy and fun for the sisters of Delta Sigma Theta.

“We first decided that we wanted to do scary,” Singletary said. “From that, Nightmare on Elm Street was what we eventually decided on.”

All in all, Mosley said, the return of Stompdown was everything and more the committee wanted in the event. She also said that the audience turn out and reactions give her hope for the future.

“I think we’ll definitely get big enough eventually to sell out the Lloyd Noble Center,” Mosley said. “We’ve had a lot younger people [on the committee] that can carry the tradition.”

showstompersAfter a

two-year absence,

Stompdown was back bigger than ever.

ChampsWomen’s:

First: OU’s Delta Sigma Theta, Nightmare on Elm StreetSecond: OSU’s Alpha Kappa Alpha, Greek Life is a Critical ConditionThird: OU’s Zeta Phi Beta, Designer’s Nightmare

1

2

Men’s:First: OU’s Alpha Phi Alpha, Beauty and the GeekSecond: Texas A&M’s Alpha Phi Alpha, CinderellaThird: University of Texas at Arlington’s Primetime Steppers, The Wizard of Oz

3

1

2

12

3

{ }

theroyal‘Treat’ment

Miss Oklahoma and OU student Taylor Treat shares what it’s like to live life in the pageant lane.

taylor treat

She smiles and waves as the pale blue of her dress glitters under the hot lights, and the crown sitting upon her blond hair sparkles as she glides effortlessly down the catwalk. On the stage, she looks more at home than anywhere else. One look at this elegant young woman and it’s clear her life has been changed. This is Miss Oklahoma. This is Taylor Treat.

Raised in Ada, former OU pom squad captain Treat began her pageant career by competing for the chance to represent her hometown when the Miss Ada pageant was reinstated after 21 years. With that crown, she was hooked. Treat, human relations senior, says winning Miss Ada was when she knew that pageants were where she belonged.

Treat then began college at OU and was selected as Miss OU in 2007 and 2009. Both years, she acted as a representative for OU in the Miss Oklahoma pageant.

“My first year at Miss Oklahoma was completely a blur,” Treat says.

She also says that although she didn’t win the pageant in 2007, the experience she got by just competing helped her the second time around. In June 2009, Treat became the first Miss OU to be crowned Miss Oklahoma. As Miss Oklahoma, she has the opportunity to travel and spread news about her platform as well as serving as a motivational speaker at schools.

Treat’s platform is service learning, a program she became involved with her sophomore year of high school. Treat says that her alma mater, Ada High School, was the first high school in Oklahoma to institute the program, which requires students to complete a minimum amount of community service hours in order to graduate. Her involvement with service learning led Treat to becoming an ambassador for Learn and Serve America.

Treat says she has a very close group

of friends that help her with her pageants preparations, including OU mascot coach Erik Gransberg. Gransberg helps Treat design her workout routines as well as serving as a motivational coach on days when two workouts and an extremely strict diet don’t seem worth the title.

“It wasn’t so much the gym workouts I was putting together for her,” Gransberg says. “It was the positive reinforcement and being there with her every day.”

Gransberg says the thing that stood out to him the most about Treat was her drive. He said he expected her to come work out with him once or twice, decide it was too intense and then quit. Instead, Gransberg says Treat called him twice a day to work out with him.

Treat also uses a stylist, Norman native Johnathan Kayne Gillaspie, who was a contestant on season three of Heidi Klum’s critically acclaimed Project Runway.

Treat says she was most surprised about people’s opinions of pageant contestants. She adds that a lot of people think they can’t relate to the contestants.

“I love to put on my boots and go outside,” Treat says with a smile. “Most people think that pageant girls are snooty. Hopefully I’ve broken some of that this year.”

Gransberg calls Treat good-natured and compassionate.

“What you see is what you get,” Gransberg says. “And what you get is pretty awesome.”

Academic affairs senior and current pom squad captain Lauren Yeary met Treat through pom and the two became close friends when Yeary joined Treat’s sorority. Yeary agrees with Gransberg and praises Treat’s leadership skills.

“I think what makes Taylor so amazing is that she’s a great friend and she’s just on your level and she’s very relatable, but at the same time, she’s a great role model and an amazing leader,”

Yeary says.Although

being Miss Oklahoma is a o n c e - i n -a- l i fe t ime e x p e r i e n c e that most people only dream about, Treat is quick to point out that it’s not all fun and games. She says after she was crowned at 10:30 p.m., she was immediately put in press conferences and meetings and moved into an apartment in Tulsa. Treat says she didn’t see her family after her crowning until 3:30 the next morning.

“The thing that people don’t understand is that I gave up this whole separate life to go be Miss Oklahoma — and I love it, don’t get me wrong — but it’s hard,” Treat says.

She says that even though she is busy traveling to raise awareness of service learning, she always finds time to stay active on campus. She has been involved in Kappa Alpha Theta, OU Pom Squad and the Miss OU Pageant.

Treat is scheduled to compete for Miss America on Jan. 30. This year, America will get the opportunity to choose four contestants to have an automatic bid into the final 10, Treat says, so it’s very important for Oklahomans to be aware and to vote.

Yeary says that she is not concerned about Treat’s upcoming competition.

“She’s very driven and motivated and when she sets a goal for herself she does absolutely everything in her power to make sure she gets it,” she says.

Gransberg echoes that statement.“I fully expect Taylor to win Miss

America,” he says. “She’s like the Adrian Peterson of pageants — when she doesn’t want to be stopped, she won’t let anyone stop her.”

Only 1.23 percent of all the teams have the opportunity to say they competed in the Final Four in any given year. And this year, the women’s basketball team found themselves on the biggest stage for a women’s college team. The Alamodome in San Antonio set the stage for the 2010 Women’s Final Four. It was here that a large number of women’s college basketball fans were surprised to see the Sooners among the company of the University of Connecticut Huskies, Baylor Bears and Stanford Cardinal, their opponent in the National Semifinal. Following a trip to the 2009 Final Four, the 2010 squad faced the graduation of Courtney and Ashley Paris. A void of inexperience was left at the inside positions, especially by Courtney, who earned All-American status all four of her collegiate years. Then, sophomore guard and 2009 Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Whitney Hand, tore her ACL in the fifth game of the season against San Diego State, ending her season. This team wasn’t supposed to make the trip to San Antonio, especially as a No. 3 seed, but they did thanks to the effort and development of players. “We all just fought, man. I’m just proud of everybody,” says Amanda Thompson, senior forward. “And where we’ve come, nobody can take that away from us.” On April 4, the Sooners suffered a 73-66 defeat at the hands of the Cardinal. Stanford, a No. 1 seed in the tournament and No. 2 overall, whose only loss of the year had been to Connecticut, later claimed their second consecutive national title and undefeated season. At one point in the first half, the team was down by 17 points. With 8:31 left in the game, the deficit was 16. With 16 seconds left, the Sooners only trailed by 3. “It was too little too late,” said head coach Sherri Coale. But it was a year of unexpected success nonetheless.With the loss of key players who lead the team to a program record 32 wins in 2008-2009, new leaders were forced to emerge. Yet, it is hard to pinpoint and credit just one player. Thompson led the Big 12 in rebounding with 10.5 per game while serving as team captain for the third straight season. Junior point guard Danielle Robinson averaged a career high 16.8 points

per game in route to earning State Farm Coaches’ All-American and Associated Press All-America Third Team selection honors. In NCAA tournament play, senior forward Nyeshia Stevenson nabbed the Most Outstanding Player of the Kansas City Regional honor after scoring a game-winning three-pointer against Notre Dame in overtime and tallied 31 points against Kentucky in the Sweet Sixteen. A much-needed presence at the center position, senior Abi Olajuwon went from playing behind the Paris twins to stepping into the stoplight. Olajuwon started all 38 games of the season, averaging 10.6 points and 7.3 rebounds while leading the team with 50.6 percent field goal percentage. And other players on the roster provided consistency as well. Finishing the season with a 27-11 record may be deceiving for some. Yet, all 11 of the Sooners losses came against squads ranked in the Top 25, with an admirable run through the Big 12 Tournament capping off with a runner-up finish against conference opponent Texas A&M. In the regular season, the team faced three of the eventual No. 1 seeds in the tournament—the Tennessee Volunteers, Connecticut Huskies and Nebraska Cornhuskers. The list rounded out when they faced Stanford. On Feb. 15, the Sooners welcomed into town the undisputable No. 1 team in the nation, the UConn Huskies, who were riding a 64-game winning streak. The game marked the third annual “Pack the Place Pink” night intended to raise breast cancer awareness. Although the team dropped a 76-60 loss, the game was much closer than the final score indicates. At halftime, the squad trailed by two

points and lead the Huskies with 16 minutes left to play, making them one of two teams this season (the other being Stanford) to lead UConn in the second half.

And the resiliency of this team will be its strongest legacy. The way they found ways to win in face of adversity, all the way to the Final Four, will be what Sooner fans remember. “I’m unbelievably proud of these kids. I cannot express what a

joy it has been to coach them, how refreshing it has been and their willingness to learn, their drive, their belief, their faith, how they are with one another,” Coale said. “It’s been everything that’s good about college basketball, and I feel blessed to have

been their coach.”

The women’s basketball team consistently outshined their male counterparts. ladiesSoonerall the

“And where we’ve come, nobody can take that away from us.”

-Amanda Thompson

throughfriday

today

10 a.m.-2 p.m. Price Hall

This year, more than172,000 people will be diagnosed with lungcancer, and more than163,000 will die—making it America’sNUMBER ONEcancer killer.

But new treatmentsoffer hope.

Join Lung CancerAlliance in the fightagainst this disease.

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NUMBERONE

Being

A drunk driver ruined somethingprecious. Amber Apodaca.

Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk.

Pho

to b

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!e University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.

Dear OU Students,

I appreciate the input I received from students who were able to join me yesterday in Beaird Lounge for a discussion of the OU budget. For those who could not be present, I want to share with you some of the data that was presented. OU continues its incredible progress in virtually every area. !is year the Princeton Review named OU in the top 10 public universities in the nation in terms of academic quality and a"ordable costs per student. As illustrated in the four charts below, we rank near the bottom of the Big 12 in the total cost for students and far below the national average, including conferences of major public universities like the Big Ten. Last year we made internal cuts at the university and froze faculty and sta" compensation in order to absorb additional #xed cost increases of over $7 million and additional cuts in our appropriations of $5.7 million. In all, we absorbed almost $13 million in cuts and costs with no increases in student tuition and mandatory fees. I appreciate the sacri#ces made by faculty and sta" who made that possible through a salary freeze and taking on increased workloads. We did so because we knew that students and their families were facing very rough times. We were one of the few major universities in our peer group to have no increase in tuition and fees last year. Unfortunately, the state government continues to face a severe budget crisis. !is year, state revenues are down about $1.2 billion, which is a shortfall of 15 to 20 percent of the total state budget. At the same time, OU once again faces increases in #xed costs that total about $16 million this year.

Our one-time reserve funds are virtually exhausted. We have continued internal cuts, but we do not want to cut courses or other core services that would sacri#ce the quality of your OU education. Additional cuts may well have to be imposed on us by the state legislature because of the state’s revenue decline. I am grateful that the state’s bipartisan leaders, including the governor and legislative leaders are trying to give priority to education with the dollars they have available. Additional cuts for universities that are being discussed at the Legislature range from $4 million per year to as much as $14 million per year for OU. It would be impossible for OU to absorb these additional cuts over and above our increased #xed costs without some increase in tuition and fees for next year. We are making our case as strongly as possible to policy makers. We understand the #nancial pressures you face, and if we do #nd it necessary to raise tuition and fees we will hold them within single digits and keep them as low as possible. It is unlikely there will be #nal action on our budget before the end of the semester. Our Board of Regents will act on the OU budget in late June. I will update you on the #nal results as soon as the information becomes available to me. I appreciate your understanding of our situation and your commitment to maintaining excellence in di$cult times.

Sincerely ,

David Boren

President

A LETTER TO OU STUDENTS

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